OAKS

n North America oak trees are commonly separated into two groups the White Oak Group and the Red Oak Group. All oaks are long-lived hardwood trees I providing many benefits to humans and wildlife. As oaks have taproots it is best to plant them as seedlings, small transplants or as acorns. Larger oak trees sold with balled and burlapped root balls often have a severed taproot limiting the tree’s ultimate size and health. Oaks are excellent trees for restoration plantings and for sites being naturalized like parks and forest preserves.

Oak trees have tremendous value to wildlife. The acorns are eaten by mammals and birds and their wide-spreading canopies provide nesting sites and shelter throughout the year. Burr oak

WHITE OAK GROUP Burr oak Quercus macrocarpa White oak Quercus alba Swamp white oak Quercus bicolor Chinkapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii

In the Midwest White Oak Group includes burr oak, white oak, swamp white oak and the chinkapin oak. A distinguishing feature of this group is that the leaf margins have rounded edges. Pin oak

Burr oaks (sometimes spelled bur oak) are trees found in former savanna landscapes-- a mix of prairie and open woodlands--- and on hilltops and other mesic sites. Their distribution ranges from the East Coast west into the Great Plains. This rugged oak grows quickly when young. Field studies have found that a burr oak’s taproot grows downward 5.5 feet during its first year seeking soil moisture. During successive years and while the tree is young the root system expands faster than does the aboveground portion of the tree. See more on next page. White oak

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quercus_macrocarpa_(Bur_Oak)_(38191489126).jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quercus_palustris.jpg https://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=24059

[email protected] 708 567-6455 RandyJBrockway.com The above ground portion of the tree also grows fast allowing it to compete for sunlight with tall grasses and herbaceous plants. After approximately 20 years the growth of burr oak slows.

Burr oak can often live 200 to 300 years if not disturbed by man or natural disasters. It’s thick bark keeps the burr oak from succumbing to prairie fires that once were common. In its native habitat burr oak is found growing with hawthornes, prairie crabapple, American plum and similar trees and shrubs that locate on the margin between prairie and woodlands.

Thewhite oak is typically found in mixed woodlands in the Midwest. Like the burr oak white oak prefers upland areas where soil moisture is not saturated. White oaks also send down a deep tap root and grow relatively quickly while young. White oak As it matures the growth of white oak slows . They are often found in woodlands with hickory, walnut, hackberry, linden and black cherry trees. White oaks grow to a height and spread of 90 feet and are valued for their shade, leaf shape, acorns and sturdy wood. White oak is a valuable lumber tree. Of greater importance may be its value to wildlife.

The third member of the white oak group is theswamp white oak. It is found lower in the landscape in areas where soil moisture remains close to the soil surface throughout the year. Swamp white oak is found near rivers, streams and along the edge of wetlands. There it is found in a mixed woodland with hackberry, linden, cottonwood and silver maple. The Swamp white oak distribution of the swamp white oak and white oak are similar ranging from the East Coast to the Great Plains.

The fourth member of this group and the least common is the chinkapin oak. The chinkapin oak has a longer leaf than the others in the white oak group. The leaf shape is very distinctive and helps identify the tree. The chinkapin oak is also shorter and not as wide as the others in the white oak group. It will reach heights of 60 feet and widths of 50 feet. See more on next page.

Chinkapin oak

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-alba/ - Nicholas A. Tonelli https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quercus_bicolor_morton_acc_71-69-2.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Quercus_muehlenbergii

[email protected] 708 567-6455 RandyJBrockway.com RED OAK GROUP Red oak Quercus rubra Black oak Quercus velutina Pin oak Quercus palustris

The Red oak group in the Midwest includes the red oak, black oak and pin oak. All three have leaves that have sharp points on their margins. This feature distinguishes them from the White Oak group.

The most common and the tallest of this group is thered oak. Red oak is a tree of upland areas where it grows in a mixed Red oak hardwood forest with hickories, sugar maple, linden, and white oak. This is a stately tree often reaching 100 feet tall and 80 feet wide. The dense red wood has been cut and used for flooring and fine furniture. It is a valuable tree in the lumber industry. Of all the oaks red oak grows the fastest reaching its mature size quicker than its cousins. Red oak is also commonly found in the mixed hardwood and coniferous forests of Wisconsin and Michigan.

The second oak in the group isblack oak. It too is a tree of upland sites and grows to have a trunk of 3.5’ in diameter. Not as common as the red oak it is a valuable lumber tree as well. Black oak

Thepin oak is the third member of this group. It shares a similar geographic range as the red and black oak. However pin oaks are found lower in the landscape where soil moisture is more abundant. Pin oaks are commonly found in their natural habitat--low woods with consistent soil moisture throughout the year.

Pin oak

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[email protected] 708 567-6455 RandyJBrockway.com